śrī-bhagavān uvāca
mayā prasannena tavārjunedaḿ
rūpaḿ paraḿ darśitam ātma-yogāt
tejo-mayaḿ viśvam anantam ādyaḿ
yan me tvad anyena na dṛṣṭa-pūrvam
Translation of Bhagavad Gita 11.47
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Arjuna, happily have I shown you, by My internal potency, this supreme universal form within the material world. No one before you has ever seen this primal form, unlimited and full of glaring effulgence.
Commentary by Sri A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada of Gaudiya Sampradaya:
Arjuna wanted to see the universal form of the Supreme Lord, so Lord Krishna, out of His mercy upon His devotee Arjuna, showed His universal form, full of effulgence and opulence. This form was glaring like the sun, and its many faces were rapidly changing. Krishna showed this form just to satisfy the desire of His friend Arjuna. This form was manifested by Krishna through His internal potency, which is inconceivable by human speculation. No one had seen this universal form of the Lord before Arjuna, but because the form was shown to Arjuna, other devotees in the heavenly planets and in other planets in outer space could also see it. They had not seen it before, but because of Arjuna they were also able to see it. In other words, all the disciplic devotees of the Lord could see the universal form which was shown to Arjuna by the mercy of Krishna. Someone has commented that this form was shown to Duryodhana also when Krishna went to Duryodhana to negotiate for peace. Unfortunately, Duryodhana did not accept the peace offer, but at that time Krishna manifested some of His universal forms. But those forms are different from this one shown to Arjuna. It is clearly said that no one had ever seen this form before.
Commentary by Sri Vishvanatha Chakravarthi Thakur of Gaudiya Sampradaya:
“O Arjuna, you have said that you desired to see my majestic form (verse 3) and by your request, I have shown the form of the universe which is one of my parts. Why has your mind become disturbed on seeing it? Is it not astonishing that you plead with me, wanting now to see my human form?” Thus the Lord speaks this verse.
Being pleased with you, I have shown this form to you (tava) alone, and not to anyone else, since it has not been seen previously by anyone. In spite of that, do you not want to see that form?
Commentary by Sri Ramanuja of Sri Sampradaya:
11.47 The Lord said — The ‘luminous’ form of Mine is a mass of luminosity. It is ‘universal’ i.e., constitutes the Self of the universe. It is ‘infinite’, endless. This is illustrated by describing it as having no beginning, middle or end. It is ‘primeval,’ namely, it constitutes the foundation of all beings other than Myself. It has nevr been seen before by any one other than you. Such a form is now revealed to you, who are My devotee, by Me who am gracious, by My own Yoga, namely, by the power of willing the truth associated with Me. Sri Krsna proceeds to say, ‘It is not possible that I can be realised as I am, through any means except exclusive Bhakti.’
Commentary by Sri Sridhara Swami of Rudra Sampradaya:
Being thus humbly entreated, Lord Krishna consoles Arjuna and cheers him up with the word prasannena which means being pleased and explains to him in this verse and the next two that there is no need for him to be fearful when out of His grace he has been shown the resplendent, supreme, unlimited, all pervading and powerful visvarupa or divine universal form by virtue of His phenomenal internal potency known as Yogamaya which was never before seen by anyone else previously.
Commentary by Sri Madhvacharya of Brahma Sampradaya:
Being thus humbly entreated, Lord Krishna consoles Arjuna and cheers him up with the word prasannena which means being pleased and explains to him in this verse and the next two that there is no need for him to be fearful when out of His grace he has been shown the resplendent, supreme, unlimited, all pervading and powerful visvarupa or divine universal form by virtue of His phenomenal internal potency known as Yogamaya which was never before seen by anyone else previously.
Commentary by Sri Keshava Kashmiri of Kumara Sampradaya:
Being thus appeased Lord Krishna tells Arjuna He is pleased with him and asks why is he feeling trepidation after requesting to witness His visvarupa or divine universal form which was revealed to bless him. The visvarupa of infinite potency and unlimited splendour is the prime cause of creation and never before seen by anyone else on Earth.
Commentary by Sri Adi Shankaracharya of Advaita Sampradaya:
11.47 Prasannena, out of grace-grace means the intention of favouring you; O Arjuna, idam, this; param, supreme; tejomayam, abundantly radiant; visvam, Cosmic, all-comprehensive; anantam, infinite, limitless; adyam, primeval-that which existed in the beginning; rupam, form, the Cosmic form; yat which form; me, of Mine; na drsta-purvam, has not been seen before; tvat-anyena, by anyone other than you; daristam, has been shown; tava, to you; maya, by Me-who am racious, being possessed of that (intention of favouring you); atma-yogat, through the power of My own Yoga, through the power of My own Godhood. ‘You have certainly got all your ends accomplished by the vision of the form of Mine who am the Self [The word atmanah (who am the Self) does not occur in some editions.-Tr.] .’ Saying so, He eulogizes that (vision):
Commentary by Sri Abhinavagupta of Kaula Tantra Sampradaya:
11.47 Sri Abhinavagupta did not comment upon this sloka.
Sanskrit Shloka Without Transliteration Marks:
sri-bhagavan uvaca
maya prasannena tavarjunedam
rupam param darsitam atma-yogat
tejo-mayam visvam anantam adyam
yan me tvad anyena na drsta-purvam
Sanskrit to English Word for Word Meanings:
śrī-bhagavān uvāca — the Supreme Personality of Godhead said; mayā — by Me; prasannena — happily; tava — unto you; arjuna — O Arjuna; idam — this; rūpam — form; param — transcendental; darśitam — shown; ātma-yogāt — by My internal potency; tejaḥ-mayam — full of effulgence; viśvam — the entire universe; anantam — unlimited; ādyam — original; yat — that which; me — My; tvat anyena — besides you; na dṛṣṭa-pūrvam — no one has previously seen.
